mindful: Don't feel bad that you find contradictions and that bothers you. It's a growing experience. I got involved in a very cult-like situation because freinds urged me to ignore the contradictions and "go along." It ended up damaging me far more than if I had just walked away much earlier. New Thought seems to be going through a change, becoming more assertive an
Forum: Destructive Churches

The quote is from the AMTA's official publication, the Massage Therapy Journal. The article appeared in the Summer 2000 edition, in an article by Dawn Jordan. The problem in massage varies widely, depending on the area. In some places, it's pretty much a normal profession. In others, hard-liners have gotten on the massage board and are enforcing what they term the "Spiritual
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

The American Medical Massage Association has published a position paper about the growing fanticism in Massage, along with the use of fraudulent credentials by many in that profession. But this article only touches the surface of what is happening in massage. Essentially Unbelievers (called "secular" therapists) are being forced out by the "spiritual" therapists, with
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

I'm just curious if others on this board are in Massage Therapy or aware of the changes going on there. As the first American profession with a Trinity, there's a lot of strange things going on. I would like to reenter Massage, but am very nervous about it. Essentially, in my area it had become very cult-like, with members of the civil massage board claiming 'spiritual authori
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

UpsideDown: I find the teachings fascinating as well. THey are often well-ntentioned and seem to have a certian validity. Yet in practice, they essentially attack your ability to pervcieve reality, instead substituting an intensely subjective reality in it's place. And since you all agree on that reality, it becomes the Group Reality. A natural offshoot of this is that you simpl
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Mindful: If something feels wrong for you, go with that feeling. New Thought sounds great, with all it's "positivity" and upbeat thought. But it covers up a lot of growing problems (in my opinion). I think you are smart to back off and take a breather. Rand
Forum: Destructive Churches

I'm afraid I don't have specific information on this group, but the rhetoric is terribly familiar. The group I was part of is actually a profession, massage therapy. But since the "spiritual truths" of this group (a collection of Oriental doctrines and European occult dogma) are on a civil test now, all kinds of cults and emergent religions and fanatics are crawling out o
Forum: Coercive Persuasion and Undue Influence

Hope wrote: >The often charming facade of prevents survivors from being heard, not only by friends and family, but by lawyers and other professionals.< I think this has been my greatest problem. I'm dismissed as a crackpot, because massage therapy is seen as a gentle, kind of New Age group. And the assumptions about the New Age come into play: broad-minded, inclusive
Forum: Recovery from Destructive Cults and Groups

Cosmophilosopher wrote, concerning the "new age": >It really moves into freedom of Religion, which is what it is. Perhaps the criticism should start when people are abusive, and exploitative, and coercive.< I totally agree. In fact, I spoke out for the freedom of New Age beliefs, until I was told that these beliefs are in fact Truth, and take legal predecence ov
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Leopard Girl wrote: >This is why I have rejected so much of the New Age community. They are just as close-minded and rigid as any other fundamentalists.< Indeed they are. I had a group jeering and taunting me, asking if I'd gotten my massage therapy license back yet. And people tell me New Age beliefs are sweet and nice, and there's no problem with them being o
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

This is an excellent article. This points out the problem I had in Massage. The cultural divide she mentions is so extreme there that my loss of licensure is seen as a triumph for the New Age and the end of "those people" (skeptics and other belief systems). And this is not just in Massage, but in America. Civil Authority backs the New Age, or so it is seen. The cultural divide
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Dear Ataloss: You wrote: "Now there is an internet campaign against me and my husband branding us as being racist and evil government agents out to destroy the revolution." I was very shocked after I left a religious (and intensly political) cult to find myself branded a bigot, a child abuser and sexual deviant, mentally ill and a lot of other terrible things. I think a part
Forum: Recovery from Destructive Cults and Groups

I guess I will once again test the waters here. First, the threats did not come just from massage therapists. They came from the groups who percieve this test as ending the separation of Church and State. Prasadam Das is correct in pointing out that massage was formerly far more scientific than spiritual. This change has only taken place in the last decade or so. I'm not trying to
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

One of the most frustrating part of losing my license is that the massage board is telling other massage therapists my connections with skeptic organizations was a large part of my loss of licensure. Such lack of faith is a punishable offense now in the "Spiritual Profession" of massage. My own pointing out that TT has no real scientific backing was countered with the "fact&q
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Moderator: Thank you. I do think his post is instructive, however. This is the exact rhetoric (blending "subtle energies" with science, and making seemingly rational statements to cover their agenda) that is unfortunately endemic in massage. Sadly, with the Oriental "Bodywork" questions on this widely used civil test, it has created a situation where spiritual coercion
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

I totally understand and sympathize. In my case, it's many of my freinds and others who are going "new age." I'm not averse to the beliefs, but it's suddenly blossoming into a much more cult like atmosphere, with a heavy "us" and "them" indoctrination and mindset. "Healing" cults are especially bad. The "Healing" of Body, M
Forum: Recovery from Destructive Cults and Groups

Hope: Thanks for the wise words. I get terribly frustrated hearing what is basically hate speech against all other religions, then having people say, "it's spiritual, and BY DEFINITION, it's accepting of all beliefs. Aren't you accepting of their beliefs?" No, I don't think all Jews and Christians are spreaders of poison. Yet that is part of this groups tea
Forum: Recovery from Destructive Cults and Groups

Yes, I'm referring to that test. I don't mean to attack the people who created it, who I don't think could have imagined the effect it would have. But by including questions about energy work, based in Oriental beliefs, this test is seen to "prove" that beliefs can be both sanctioned (and now enforced) by civil law. It's called the NCE (National Certification
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Penny: I really don't want to say where I live, but I will say my state DOESN'T use this test yet. Yet local massage boards are whipping up people to make this test law, and I got in the way of that. Another problem is that all the questions on this test are secret! They can't be released, because so many areas use this as their only test. Massage Therapists might cheat.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Okay, I realize I'm not explaining myself or the problem very well. I'm sorry: I'll try to clarify. What has happened is that the Oriental beliefs that underlay Energy work (Chi, the Chakras, the metaphysics of Holism) are now on a civil test for civil licensure. The problem is these are also common beliefs among many religious groups. And the problem is exacerbated by the
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

I agree Unity Church tends to be very open and sometimes awfully trusting. It has become, however, a place a new cult is operating. Basically, the general beliefs of the New Age have now been codified into a single belief system, and members of this group are using the "Spiritual" churches to gain converts. THis would not present a problem if this codified belief system were seen a
Forum: Destructive Churches

I was a part of a growing new cult, and I find talking about it is dismissed as foolishness, even as members of the group are still threatening me. It seems a lot of people want to pretend that these groups simply aren't out there, or that certain categories of belief are, by definition, harmless. I would love to find places and people I could talk about this, since my connection to this
Forum: Recovery from Destructive Cults and Groups

I've noticed "channeling" has become a way some people use to manipulate people in some groups. It's that "special knowledge" thing: it comes from "Higher Beings" supposedly, so carries more weight. I just recently left a group whose members tend to use "channelled wisdom" "Intuitive Knowing" and "Secret Doctrines of the Enlig
Forum: Coercive Persuasion and Undue Influence

Mr. Ross: I'm actually a little afraid to say. Each time I have tried to take this on, it just gets more dangerous, especially since they have the active support of many White Supremacist groups. The problem is in what terms itself "the Spiritual Profession of Massage." Basically, massage therapy sees itself as a religious movement, with very strict religious doctrines.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

I accidenly angered our local racist community. Now I'm getting threats and worse. How does one handle something like this? I have tried to go through local police channels, but have gotten nowhere. (our local racists claim they get support from so many officers, they are basically untouchable). Have others here found themselves in this situation? Random Factor
Forum: Hate Groups

I don't even know if I'm in the right place. I angered the local members of a national group, a group that is taking on all the appearances of a very dangerous cult. They are absolutely convinced they have found absolute Truth, and when I refused to help them spread that "truth," they branded me a spiritual traitor. I hear a lot about how dangerous some groups are inter
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"